About Zelus longipes (Linnaeus, 1767)
Zelus longipes (Linnaeus, 1767) is an assassin bug belonging to the Reduviidae family and the Harpactorinae subfamily. It is distributed across southern North America, Central America, and South America excluding Chile, and occurs especially commonly in Brazilian agroecosystems. This species has been identified as a potential biological control agent. It is a generalist predator that particularly prefers caterpillars of Spodoptera frugiperda, a moth species that acts as a pest in cornfields. It is also commonly used to control picture-winged flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae), which damage sweet corn yields in Florida. Z. longipes prefers smaller caterpillars, likely because subduing smaller prey carries a lower risk of injury to the bug.
